European Public Prosecutor’s Office Finds Teodora Georgieva Guilty, Seeks Her Dismissal

On February 25, the College of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said that it found the Bulgarian European Prosecutor Teodora Georgieva guilty of serious misconduct, following a disciplinary proceeding related to her actions in the case concerning the expansion of Bulgaria’s Chiren Gas Storage Facility.

The College of the EPPO deferred its decision on the appropriate sanction as, considering the seriousness of the established breaches, and the high degree of responsibility of the function of European Prosecutor, it cannot be excluded that the sanction may be the dismissal of the European Prosecutor, the statement of the EPPO reads.

The European Chief Prosecutor informed the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission of the decision of the College of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office as well as of the opinion of the Disciplinary Board in the disciplinary procedure against the Bulgarian European Prosecutor.

In accordance with the EPPO Regulation, only the European Court of Justice may dismiss a European Prosecutor because of serious misconduct, on request of the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission. For this reason, before deciding to apply a lesser sanction, the EPPO must put these institutions in the position to decide whether they deem it appropriate to request the dismissal of the European Prosecutor in question.

The Bulgarian European Prosecutor remains suspended until a final decision will be delivered by the competent institutions, with remuneration withheld in accordance with modalities foreseen under the Staff Regulations, the EPPO statement said.